A47542:905
A golden mine opened, or, The glory of God's rich grace displayed in the mediator to believers, and his direful wrath against impenitent sinners containing the substance of near forty sermons upon several subjects / by Benjamin Keach.
London: printed by the author, 1694
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Thirdly. The Covenant of Grace secures all Christ's Sheep, all his Saints, from falling away so as eternally to perish, because the Covenant of Grace is an Everlasting Covenant, well ordered in all 1things and sure: Not only well ordered in all things for the Glory of God, in all his blessed Attributes, but also for the Happiness, Safety and Security of all their Souls that the Father gave unto Jesus Christ.
1. It is well ordered for our Good, in that Christ hath pacified the Wrath of God thereby for us. Christ hath, by the Blood of his Covenant, made up that great Breach that was between God and us. So that now God says unto his People, Fury is not in me. See what Paul says, When we were Enemies, 1we were reconciled unto God by the Death of his Son: And by his Spirit he reconciles us, he slays and subdues the Enmity that naturally was in our Hearts against God. Christ in this Covenant (it is so well ordered) is that blessed Days-man that lays his Hand upon both, he brings God to Man, and Man to God: We were the Children of Wrath, and under the 2Curse of the Law; but by the Grace of this well-ordered Covenant, we were made the Children of God, and delivered from the Curse of the Law: Christ hath delivered us from the Curse of the Law, being made a Curse for us.
We had lost the Image of God; but by this Covenant it is restored to us again, and so that we shall not lose it any more for ⟨p. 207⟩ever. We were dead, blind, naked, in Bonds and in Prison, but by the Grace of God in this Covenant we are quickened, our Eyes 1are enlightened, and we have our naked Souls clothed; yea, and are brought out of Prison, and all our Wounds are healed. We were guilty and filthy Creatures; but by this Covenant are justified and sanctified, being actually acquitted, and through Faith pronounced Righteous, in the perfect Righteousness of Christ; and all our Sins pardoned; and are sanctified, purged and washed by Faith in his Blood, and shall not come into Condemnation: There 2is therefore now no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus; they shall never perish: If there is no Condemnation to them, there is no possibility of their final falling.
We had lost the Image of God; but by this Covenant it is restored to us again, and so that we shall not lose it any more for ⟨p. 207⟩ever. We were dead, blind, naked, in Bonds and in Prison, but by the Grace of God in this Covenant we are quickned, our Eyes 1are enlightned, and we have our naked Souls clothed; yea, and are brought out of Prison, and all our Wounds are healed. We were guilty and filthy Creatures; but by this Covenant are justified and sanctified, being actually acquitted, and through Faith pronounced Righteous, in the perfect Righteousness of Christ; and all our Sins pardoned; and are sanctified, purged and washed by Faith in his Blood, and shall not come into Condemnation: There 2is therefore now no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus; they shall never perish: If there is no Condemnation to them, there is no possibility of their final falling.
Well, but what are the Characters of those happy Souls? why, they are such, saith the Apostle, who walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit. Moreover, see this more fully confirmed by Christ himself; Verily, verily I say unto you, he that heareth my Words, and believeth on him that sent me, hath Everlasting Life, and shall not come into Condemnation, but is passed from Death to Life: He is passed out of a state of Death to a state of Spiritual Life; he hath Eternal Life in the Seed of it in him; he hath a sure and certain Right and Title to Everlasting Life; he shall not be deprived of it by any Enemy whatsoever: so much do these words of our Blessed Saviour imply. Now what daring Men are they who say, they may come into Condemnation that do believe? Will they gainsay and contradict the Lord of Life and Glory?
3dly. It is a well-ordered and sure Covenant, because it is made in and with our blessed Surety, as before I showed you: God treats with us, trades again with us, gives forth his Heavenly Treasure to us; but all is upon the Credit and Security of Jesus Christ, who is become the Surety of this Covenant. Now we may have what we need, come when we will in his Name, he is engaged to God the Father for us; Christ was made a Surety of a better Covenant. 1When God saw Man undone, run out of all, and no trusting him any more, Christ stepped in and undertook for us, and put his Hand to the Covenant, and brings himself under an Obligation for us.
3dly. It is a well-ordered and sure Covenant, because it is made in and with our blessed Surety, as before I shewed you: God treats with us, trades again with us, gives forth his Heavenly Treasure to us; but all is upon the Credit and Security of Jesus Christ, who is become the Surety of this Covenant. Now we may have what we need, come when we will in his Name, he is engaged to God the Father for us; Christ was made a Surety of a better Covenant. 1When God saw Man undone, run out of all, and no trusting him any more, Christ step'd in and undertook for us, and put his Hand to the Covenant, and brings himself under an Obligation for us.
Quest. Is Christ a Surety to God for us, or of us to God?
An. I answer; God on his part had no need of a Surety to undertake for him; he never failed nor broke at first with Man, it was Man that broke and failed in his Covenant with God. "But we on all Accounts (saith Dr. Owen)1 stand in need of such a ⟨p. 208⟩Surety for us, or on our behalf: Neither without the interposition of such a Surety, (saith he) could any Covenant between God and us be firm and stable, or an Everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure."
4thly. Because this Covenant is made upon the unchangeable Decree and Counsel of God: My Covenant I will not break; nor alter 1the thing that is gone out of my Mouth. If you can break my Covenant of the Day and Night, then may also my Covenant be broken with David. Now Christ and his Seed, his Elect, are but one Party in this Covenant; 2it was made with him, and with us in him, before the World began. See Paul; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy Calling; not according to our Works, but according to his own Purpose and Grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the World began. It was made as firm to us in Christ who do believe, as it was made to him, and only made with him for us; to this End, even to secure Eternal Life for us, that we might not lose it: and it is as firm by the Decree and Counsel of God, as the Covenant of Day and Night. And thus it is of Grace alone; the Reason of which the Apostle gives us; Therefore it is of Faith, that it might be of 3Grace, to the end the Promise might be sure to all the Seed. Pray observe it well.
5thly. This Covenant is sure to all the Elect, and gives them an Assurance of Everlasting Life; because the execution of it is put into the Hands of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost is to see that all the Legacies left in Christ's last Will and Testament, are given to all Believers; all Covenant-Blessings shall therefore be faithfully bestowed upon them of which final Perseverance in Grace and Holiness is none of the least: Christ's Will runs, none of them shall perish; and it is the Father's Will, that none that he hath given to his Son should be lost. Now the Spirit of God cannot fail, it is his Work to regenerate, sanctify and preserve, and to make meet all the Saints of God for the Eternal Inheritance; therefore they cannot perish.
6thly. The Covenant is firm and sure, and doth secure all Christ's Sheep unto Eternal Life, appears further, because it is confirmed by the highest Witnesses in Heaven and Earth. (1.) The Father, (2.) the Son, (3.) the Holy Spirit, and all those wonderful Miracles that were wrought: this was one End of that mighty Testimony, viz. That all the Father hath given to Christ, or all that believe in him, may assuredly know they shall not perish, but have Everlasting Life.
7thly. This Covenant makes all the Blessings thereof sure to all Believers, because it is confirmed and ratified by the Blood of the Testator Jesus Christ: That Covenant that is confirmed and ratified by Christ's Blood, must needs be sure to all the Seed, and secure all Blessings in it to them. We have also as a Sign and Token of this Confirmation of the New Covenant, the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper; This is the Blood of the New Covenant that is shed for you, to make Peace for you, to procure Justification, Reconciliation, pardon of Sin, and Eternal Life for you: it is sealed to you by the Spirit through my Blood; take, eat this, and drink this in token of it, as an Assurance of it.
7thly. This Covenant makes all the Blessings thereof sure to all Believers, because it is confirmed and ratified by the Blood of the Testator Jesus Christ: That Covenant that is confirm'd and ratified by Christ's Blood, must needs be sure to all the Seed, and secure all Blessings in it to them. We have also as a Sign and Token of this Confirmation of the New Covenant, the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper; This is the Blood of the New Covenant that is shed for you, to make Peace for you, to procure Justification, Reconciliation, pardon of Sin, and Eternal Life for you: it is sealed to you by the Spirit through my Blood; take, eat this, and drink this in token of it, as an Assurance of it.
8thly. The Covenant of Grace doth secure the standing of Christ's Sheep, or preserve all Believers to Everlasting Life, because of the Promise and Oath of God. We have,
(1.) The Promise of God to Christ; He shall see his Seed. And 1again, His Seed shall endure for ever. How can that be, if any one that is begotten by Christ's Word and Spirit may perish?
(2.) The Promises also are as made to us in Christ. This was Abraham's Title to the Blessings of the Covenant: To Abraham 1and to his Seed were the Promises made; that is, to Christ and to all Believers in Christ. For all the Promises of God in Jesus Christ, are not 2Yea and Nay, but Yea and Amen, to the Glory of God the Father: From the Father through the Merits of Christ, and the Application of the Holy Spirit. Nay, God that cannot lie, promised them to us in Christ before all Worlds: See Paul, In hope of Eternal 3Life, which God that cannot lie, promised before the World began. If Believers do perish, what will become of the Promises of God, nay, of the Oath of God? For when God made Promise to Abraham, 4because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself, &c. Wherein God willing more abundantly to show unto the Heirs of Promise the immutability of his Counsel, confirmed it by an Oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong Consolation, who have fled for Refuge to lay hold on the Hope set before us. This Promise and Oath of God, doth respect the Salvation of all the Elect, or all that are Believers, who are the Heirs of the Promises. O let any take heed how they affirm, that any one of these may perish, since God's Oath is passed that they shall not; and 'tis to this end that all of them might have strong Consolation.
(2.) The Promises also are as made to us in Christ. This was Abraham's Title to the Blessings of the Covenant: To Abraham 1and to his Seed were the Promises made; that is, to Christ and to all Believers in Christ. For all the Promises of God in Jesus Christ, are not 2Yea and Nay, but Yea and Amen, to the Glory of God the Father: From the Father through the Merits of Christ, and the Application of the Holy Spirit. Nay, God that cannot lie, promised them to us in Christ before all Worlds: See Paul, In hope of Eternal
9thly. I might proceed to show you that the Covenant of Grace does preserve all the Sheep of Christ to Eternal Life, and shows us, ⟨p. 210⟩that it is impossible that any of them should so fall away, as eternally to perish, because they in this Covenant have received the 1Earnest of the Inheritance, and by the same Spirit it is sealed to them also. But I shall pass by that, having elsewhere spoken fully to it.
9thly. I might proceed to shew you that the Covenant of Grace does preserve all the Sheep of Christ to Eternal Life, and shews us, ⟨p. 210⟩that it is impossible that any of them should so fall away, as eternally to perish, because they in this Covenant have received the 1Earnest of the Inheritance, and by the same Spirit it is sealed to them also. But I shall pass by that, having elsewhere spoken fully to it.
10thly, and Lastly, This Covenant prevents the Saints final falling, because it is an absolute Covenant which can never be broken, but stands as firm as their Eternal Rock. See what the Prophet speaks, 'tis as absolute as the Covenant God made with Noah: For this is as the Water of Noah unto me; for as I have sworn the 1Waters of Noah shall no more go over the Earth, so I have sworn that I will not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the Mountains shall depart, and the Hills be removed, but my loving Kindness shall not depart from thee, neither [mark it] the Covenant of my Peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath Mercy on thee. And now this Covenant is made with every Sheep and Lamb of Jesus Christ, as it appears by what the same Prophet speaks, Incline your Ear, and come unto me; hear, and your Souls shall live; and I will make an 2Everlasting Covenant with you, even the sure Mercies of David: that is, then you shall be brought actually into the Bonds of this Covenant, which is the Work of the Spirit; for who else can make the Dead to hear and live? So this Covenant secures you to Eternal Life.
